Let's look at GM Jocketty's "shallow" 2009 free agent market for pitching. Whoa. C.C. SABATHIA, BEN SHEETS, A.J. BURNETT, OLIVER PEREZ, etc. He's got to be kidding or is he just saying this because the Reds aren't going to spend money. Remember last year when the market was Carlos Silva and Kyle Loshe? (The list.) But first let's analyze if we need starting pitching.
1. Starting Pitching The Reds are actually in good shape here and that's hard to say since 1990. Aaron Harang is coming around and looks like he might regain his form. Bronson Arroyo gives you 200 innings and keeps you in games. The Dominican Duo of Edinson Volquez and Johhny Cueto look like future Cy Young candidates. Cueto will only get better, the more he learns. That leaves the no. 5 starter.
Look, the no. 5 starter is usually not very good. But pitchers also go through slumps. This is where the no. 5 guy can step in, should Arroyo have a bad period. You don't want everybody all at once to slump. A solid no. 5 guy might not be struggling at the same time.
What would happen if the Reds had a C.C. Sabathia on the team? World Series, baby. But realistically the Reds will not show him the money. So, stand pat and use the money on Mark Teixeira. Let Homer Bailey fight it out with Darryl Thompson. But if you want to spend some money but not Sabathia dough, sign Oliver Perez. (3.90 ERA, 9-7) He's a lefty and that could suppress an opponent's lefty power.
2. Bullpen- Much, much better than last year. Resign Jeremy Affeldt. He's a lefty and is a nice complement to Bill Bray. You need two lefties in the pen. Resign Mike Lincoln at your price. No three year, nine million contract.
Let David Weathers walk. Yes, I said let him walk, John Fay. You can't look at just numbers. As detailed in this blog you have to look at stuff and what happens in an inning. When Stormy throws a scoreless inning and the outs are rockets, that tells you he's lucky. His sinker, and slider are gone. He's a pitch to contact guy, ill suited for late innings. And his 89 mph fastball ain't gonna fool anybody.
Jared Burton when healthy can take over his role. Josh Roenicke maybe ready for next year. And don't forget about Nick Masset.
3. Odds and Ends A fellow blogger hated my idea of signing Pudge Rodriguez as a QUALITY stop gap catcher because he will be 37 next year (Pudge will turn 38 in November, 2009.) Paul Bako will also be 37 next year. So, there's not much difference in age. Let's face it, Pudge is a better catcher. He would only be stop gap measure until Devin Mesoraco makes it. You need two catchers to share the load, that's why I would let Ryan Hanigan take half of it.
I don't think there's any question that the free agent market is not shallow as GM Walt Jocketty has described it. There are players that can help the Reds make the playoffs next year. And the advantage is that you get to keep your kids to develop. It boils down to goals. Do you want to win in 2009? Spend money and do it the Chicago way. If not, then the Reds will be losing to win with the hope that one day they might make the playoffs.
